International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
Research Assistant - Animal Nutrition
(Re-Advertised)
Nairobi, Kenya
The International
Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a research
assistant to run animal trials on feed interventions, animal
productivity and greenhouse gas emissions from livestock systems.
ILRI works to improve
food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries
through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock.
It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centres dedicated entirely to
livestock research for the developing world.
Co-hosted by Kenya and
Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South
and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa.
Responsibilities
The
candidate will contribute to ongoing research projects which focus on
identifying the conditions that enable and constrain East African dairy
producers in adopting climate smart agriculture practices.
The research team aims to
develop specific baseline estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
from livestock and livestock related products such as manure, identify
effects of livestock systems on water quality and water quantity and
identify potential mitigation practices that also improve dairy/beef
production in smallholder systems.
The candidate is expected to work within an international dynamic team in ILRI’s Mazingira Centre (mazingira.ilri.org).
The position entails a
significant component of hands-on work including handling of and
sampling from large and small ruminants
The candidate will contribute to this by undertaking the following activities:
- Planning, participation and oversight of ruminant research trials
- To coordinate and assist in day to day running and maintenance of animal facilities
- To collect biological
samples (eg. faeces, urine, and rumen liquor), carry out greenhouse gas
flux measurements from ruminants in experimental trials, under the
guidance of senior project staff
- To assist with data
entry and processing (data organization, calculation of greenhouse gas
fluxes from animal respiration chambers)
- To maintain
relationships with different stakeholders including farmers and farmer
groups, suppliers and ILRI ancillary staff, in order to facilitate the
efficient prosecution of research trials
- Assisting Higher Degree (Research) students
- Other such duties as deemed consistent with the position by supervisor
Requirements
The ideal candidate should have:
- A diploma in
agriculture related science from a recognized institution with a minimum
of 3 years’ experience working in a research/teaching facility or a
commercial farm. A BSc degree in agriculture will be an added advantage
- Demonstrated understanding of ruminant nutrition
- Demonstrated experience and ability in animal handling and carry out basic farm routine operations
- Demonstrated ability
to work constructively and collegially with technical and scientific
staff and students with minimal supervision
- Good skills in written and spoken English
Terms of Appointment: This is a Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position based at ILRI’s Nairobi campus. It is open to Kenyan nationals only.
The position is on a 1-year contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding.
Job Level:
This position is job level 2B, and ILRI offers a competitive salary and
benefits package which includes; pension, medical and other insurances
for ILRI’s Nationally Recruited Staff.
How to apply:
Applicants should send a
cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, that
specifically address the selection criteria and the names and addresses
(including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable
about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to
the Director, People and Organizational Development by CLICKING HERE before 19th October, 2017.
The position title and reference number REF: RA/SLS/10/2017 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.
We thank all applicants for their interest in working for ILRI.
Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training).
ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.
To find out more about ILRI, visit our websites at http://www.ilri.org/
To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org/ilricrowd/
ILRI is an equal opportunity employer.
